The State is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

1. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was established by Commission on
Human Rights resolution 1991/42. The mandate of the Working Group was clarified
and extended by resolutions 1997/50 and 2000/36, and reconfirmed by resolution
2001/40. Acting in accordance with its methods of work, the Working Group forwarded
the above-mentioned communication to the Government.

2. The Working Group conveys its appreciation to the Government for having provided
the requisite information in good time.

3. By note dated 27 February 2001, the Government informed the Working Group
that the two above-mentioned individuals were released in the following circumstances:
Mr. Vladimir Nikolic. By first instance sentence No. 502/99 of 3 March 2000
pronounced by the District Court in Belgrade, the said person was found guilty
and sentenced to a total of one year and 10 months’ imprisonment. By second
instance decision No. 733/00 of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Serbia,
the first instance sentence was altered to a total of one year and one month’s
imprisonment. The said person had been in pre-trial detention from 2 October
1999 to 10 May 2000 in the District Prison in Belgrade and as of 10 May, upon
his request, he continued to serve his sentence in the Penal Correctional Institution
in Pozarevac until 26 October 2000. From that date he was on parole till 2 November
2000, when he was released from prison. Mr. Xhevat Podvorica. The said person
had been in pre-trial detention in the Penal Correctional Institution in Sremska
Mitrovica from 10 June to 6 November 2000 when, along with other persons of
Albanian nationality he was transferred for security reasons to the District
Prison in Belgrade. Upon termination on the pre-trial detention, the said person
was handed over, on 9 November 2000, to employees of the International Committee
of the Red Cross.

4. The Working Group transmitted the reply provided by the Government to the
source, who has confirmed the release of the individuals mentioned above. The
Working Group is in a position to render an opinion on the case.

5. Taking note of these releases and having examined all the available information
before it, and without prejudging the arbitrary nature of the detention, the
Working Group decides to file the case of the above-mentioned two individuals,
in accordance with paragraph 17 (a) of its revised methods of work.